


Until You're On Your Own Two Feet

by InsomniacTiger



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Baby Sylvain, Bad Parenting, But Edelgard and Hubert, Canon-Typical Violence, Dedue is going to be a life saver, Felix Hugo Fraldarius Swears, I Recruit Everyone, I still refuse to write Edelgard, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23523649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsomniacTiger/pseuds/InsomniacTiger
Summary: As a result of one of Hubert's experiments Sylvain gets turned into an infant on the battlefield. Felix now has to figure out how to get him back to normal... and learn how to take care of a baby.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 13
Kudos: 93





	1. Felix Finds a Baby

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Cosu's art over on Twitter @guessibetter. It is awesome and should definitely be checked out! The art was too cute and possessed me to write a fic for it.

Felix wanted to kill a lot of people all at once. He wanted to kill all these damn soldiers that wouldn’t stop piling in front of him. He was going to kill Sylvain as soon as he caught up to him for taking off without even his battalion to back him up. And finally, when he caught up to where the idiot had left his horse, he had decided he was going to _murder_ Hubert. Edelgard’s guard dog. They had heard that he was a man who liked to experiment with black magic. But that didn’t explain why Sylvain was just _gone._ His horse was here, his armor was here… but the man himself had vanished.

“What did you to him bastard?!” Felix snarled lifting his Levin sword.

Hubert smirked down at the armor that was near the horse’s hooves. “Is he alive?”

Not wanting to look away from the enemy before him Felix knelt carefully next to the armor. Did Hubert shrink him? He had heard of magic like that before…

What he saw inside the armor was worse.

“H-he’s not dead.” Felix stumbled over his words, still surprised by this turn of events.

“So, it works.” Hubert grinned.

The man was warming up another spell when a short spear tore through his shoulder. Hissing curses he warped away toward where the other Empire soldiers were retreating. Felix recognized The Boar’s fur shrouded figure approaching him. He needed to focus.

Turning back to the surprise in the armor.

It was an infant, definitely Sylvain, with that red hair curling around his head. But what was he supposed to do with … a baby?

First thing first, get the defenseless child off the battlefield. Tearing off his hooded fur lined cape, he bundled Sylvain in it and held him close to his chest as he swung himself onto the large steed. Baby or not, Sylvain would never forgive him if he just abandoned his beloved war horse.

Dimitri hurried over, his eye immediately focusing on the crying infant wiggling in Felix’s arms.

“Is that…”

“Yes.”

The blonde king nodded and grabbed the armor tying it quickly to the back of the horse and led them toward where Mercedes had set up a medical tent. Currently the worst she seemed to be handling was some scrapes and bruises. They had done well here, the Professor giving intelligent orders as always.

“Mercedes if we could have your attention…” Dimitri asked as she was speaking to another solider.

“Of course, how can I help you?” She was quick to get to her feet.

Felix grabbed her and arm and dragged to the portion of the tent that had been partitioned off for the more serious injuries, that was thankfully currently empty. “Fix him.” He was careful to pull the hood away from the baby’s face.

“Oh my… is that… Sylvain?” Her eyes grew wide.  
“Yes. Now fix him.” Felix growled. “Hubert used magic… so just un-magic him.”

Mercedes looked up and saw the large scowl on the young Fraldarius face, but the worry in his eyes. Dimitri’s concern and confusion were worn openly as he stared at the baby that was yanking on a loose strand of Felix’s hair.

“I understand that you are worried, but I don’t know what to do… my magic pertains to healing… and he doesn’t seem injured.”

“What do you mean?!” He snapped. “This is not normal! There is something wrong! Heal him! Fix him! I don’t care what!”

“Felix…” The young woman gave him a sympathetic gaze. “As of right now all I can do is offer you advice for basic child care until we figure out how to return him to his proper age.”

He glared at her then the Boar next to him. “Where is Annette?! I want her.”

Before they could try to explain that the small red head likely couldn’t do more she came flying around the corner.

“I heard that Felix found a baby!”

She looked down at the infant in his arms. “Hey… that looks like…” She glanced up and saw Felix’s glare. “Oh no.”

“Annie… do you know how to reverse an … infancy spell?” Mercedes asked quietly.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry Felix… when we get back to Garreg Mach though we can ask Linhardt! Experimental magic is more his thing.”

“Until then, I could keep an eye on him for you if you like?” The older blonde woman offered as she noticed how awkwardly Felix kept shifting the baby from one arm to another.

“No. I’ve got him.” He muttered. “Let’s just hurry and finish here so we can go back.”

Once he had left Dimitri glanced at the two mages next to him. “How likely is it that Linhardt will have a cure?”

“Considering his area of focus… not especially.” Mercedes admitted.

“However!” Annette jumped in. “He loves learning and if it’s a request from the King he surely can’t say no. Right?”

Dimitri sighed, hating to use his status to coerce anyone into anything. Especially with someone he considered a friend. But this was for Sylvain. And Felix. Two of his closest and dearest friends. He would do anything for them.

“Let’s get packed and ready to leave as soon as possible.” He nodded to the two of them before leaving the tent.

* * *

Sitting by his own horse, with Sylvain’s larger one tied near them, Felix looked down at the slobbering mess he had perched on his knees. Sylvain’s honey colored eyes looked up at him with wide curiosity.

“You damn fool. If you had just waited for me like you were supposed to, we could have avoided this.”

Sylvain giggled, resulting in more drool rolling down his chin.

“This is going to be a huge pain. I should just leave you with Mercedes.”

There was a gurgling sound then more spit. It was probably ‘baby talk’.

“It’s already bad enough you are putting me out like this, no need to involve everyone. Right?”

The baby lifted his arms up, his hands opening and closing in a grabbing motion.

Felix sighed.

Damn it.

It was adorable.

Picking him up he held him to his shoulder and bounced him lightly.

“We’ll figure this out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [@InsomniacTiger](https://twitter.com/InsomniacTiger)  
> Come say Hi over on Twitter! I post updates for my stories and art! :)


	2. Baby Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I should wait to post again, but I just really love Dedue and Ashe in this. So I had to share it.

Back at Garreg Mach the first thing Felix does is search for Linhardt. For being someone who claims they are always napping, he is sure a hard man to find. Finally, he finds him in the dining hall arguing with Caspar about something or another.

“Hey. What do you know about babies?”

Linhardt’s intelligent eyes scan over the situation before him before sighing. “This has Hubert written all over it.”

“Yeah. Can you fix it?”

The green haired man shook his head. “Not at this moment. This is something that will have to be researched. I hardly know anything about the development of children and what this could have possibly done to his cognition to be comfortable trying anything.”

“Well get to it then!” Felix snaps.

“Why…?” He sighs. “I am still waiting for the results on my current experiment. It’s on the Crest of - ”

“That’s not important right now!”

Felix’s angry snarl startles Sylvain, which in turn causes him to start crying loudly.

“Now look what you did!”

“That was certainly not my fault. Your shouting is clearly what upset it.”

“Him! Upset him! You moron!”

“And you’re still shouting…”

“Lin…” Caspar finally spoke up, his eyes stuck on the infant in Felix’s arms. “I think you should switch gears to this one. Sylvain is an important general in the King’s army. Our forces will suffer without him… and besides. It’s not like Felix is just going to give up.”

There was a moment where they stared each other down before Linhardt sighed. “Very well. At least let me finish my dinner. I can’t think on an empty stomach.”

“Fine.” Felix started to walk away.

“Don’t expect results too soon.” Linhardt called to him as he walked off. “This is something delicate enough that I’ll have to be extremely thorough about.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

* * *

With the matter of a cure taken care of next came something that was likely more annoying. Telling Ingrid.

He found her in the library looking over some books with Ashe.

“Hello Felix we were just discussing – what is that?”

“Oh! Can I hold him?” Ashe hurried over.

Though Felix had been reluctant thus far to hand over Sylvain he knew Ashe was beyond reliable and grudgingly handed over his delicate cargo.

“Wow! He looks just like Sylvain!” The silver haired man chuckled as the baby played with his hair and patted his cheeks.

“Oh my goddess…” Ingrid was pale, then quickly turned very red. “That idiot got some poor girl pregnant didn’t he!? I warned him over and over to stop and think before he - ”

“Ingrid. It is him.” Felix pointed at the baby that was giggling at being tossed lightly up and down in the strong archer’s arms.

“What?”

“That _is_ Sylvain.”

“How…?”

“Hubert. He did something. I don’t know. But that’s him. I pulled him out of his own armor on the battlefield. That is definitely Sylvain.”

Ingrid glared at him then the baby for a moment.

“You’re not just saying this right? This really is Sylvain? Not his child?”

“Check his shoulder.”

Ashe held the baby steady as she pealed back the little white gown from his shoulder revealing the mark of Gautier. A scar shaped like the Gautier Crest. When noble babies are born, they are checked for crests. Other families just use the tiniest prick to draw blood, the Gautier house… had their own, much harsher way.

“Ok. So, what’s next? Can Mercedes - ”

“I already tried. Currently Linhardt’s working on a cure. But for now, we are stuck with … this.”

“This cute precious baby.” Ashe sang swinging said baby in his arms, still getting plenty of giggles.

“Anyway… I was thinking that you could…”

Ingrid shook her head. “Oh no. Definitely not. I am not babysitting.”

“But - ”

She glared. “Watch your words carefully Felix Hugo Fraldarius. Because if you are insinuating that because I am a woman, I will watch this baby for you, you are sorely mistaken.”

He shut his mouth choosing instead to scowl at her. Because of course that’s not what he was going to say. He was going to suggest that she would be better at it because she usually cleaned up after Sylvain instead of just yelling at him. Like Felix did.

But he also recalled their last trip to town the month before. When a bunch of children had run up to say hello to the King’s knights. Felix had just stood there at their rambunctiousness, Ingrid had awkwardly excused herself and escaped into the nearest tavern. It had been Sylvain who had gotten down on a knee to talk to the kids on their level. He had been full of genuine smiles and laughter as the kids asked all sorts of questions.

Now he was the kid.

And the two people who couldn’t handle children were the ones left.

Except…

“Ashe?”

The archer chuckled. “I’d love to help you watch him Felix. But I did promise Cyril that I’d train with him this afternoon. Maybe later tonight? I’ll see how you’re doing then.”

It was better than what Ingrid was offering – which was nothing.

“Thanks.” He muttered taking the armful of red head back into his arms.

Ingrid hesitantly reached over and poked at his tiny hands, surprised by the strength he had to cling to one of her fingers. She gave him a small smile before looking back up at Felix.

“Listen. None of us are really trained to handle children. Nor do we have the time. Nobody would blame you if you took him to one of the nurses in the infirmary. They will take good care of him.”

Felix had considered that. But it wasn’t really an option.

The truth was that he had promised to protect Sylvain. Sure, when he made that promise he assumed it would be in battle. But that promise applies here. If something were to happen to him while he was this small and defenseless, he would never forgive himself.

“We’ll make it work. For now.”

“Then I suggest you do something about that.” She wrinkled her nose and gestured toward where a certain smell was emanating from.

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

“Can’t you - ”

“Bye Felix.”

He stared down at the round grinning face that was still too familiar.

“Damn you.”

* * *

Sylvain cried through the entire process of changing him. Felix suspected that continuously dumping buckets of water on the baby’s rear was maybe not the way to clean him. But there was no way was he touching that… this would be fine.

However, Dedue walked in as he was attempting to pin the cloth back on him like Mercedes had done before.

“Felix, can I lend you a hand?” Dedue’s deep voice cut through the baby’s crying.

Initially his reaction to an offer of assistance was to decline, especially when it was the Boar’s right hand. But Felix was well aware that he was failing horribly at this. How did parents do this so many times a day?

“If you can.”

“I helped raise my sister.” Dedue murmured as he gently took over folding the cloth between the baby’s legs and pinning it expertly so that it was snug. “His Highness told me what happened.” He said as he lifted the crying Sylvain. Carefully he rocked him while humming a tune that Felix suspected was from Duscur origin.

“He won’t stop crying!” Felix grumbled.

“When was the last time you fed him?”

“Fed… him?”

Dedue fixed him with a stern look. “Babies need to eat. Often.”

When Felix continued to look perplexed, the taller man nodded and gestured for him to follow him. “Come with me to the kitchen. We’ll fix him something to eat.”

* * *

Once they were in the kitchen Dedue handed Sylvain back to Felix and began rifling through their supplies to see what he had to work with.

“Judging from his teeth I’d say he’s about six months old.” Dedue said as he pulled out some carrots and began dicing them then grinding them into mush.

“His teeth…? Like a horse?” Felix frowned poking into Sylvain’s mouth noticing the tiny white stubs peeking through his gums.

Dedue chuckled. “Similar. However, this means we are in luck and he can have mashed foods.”

“What else would he have?”

“We would have had to create something similar to milk from a nursing mother.”

Felix felt his face turn red. Of course. That’s what babies did. He knew that. It’s just been… well never since he thought of things like babies.

In no time at all Dedue had a concoction of orangey paste that had some other things mushed into it. But Felix didn’t question it too much when Sylvain eagerly reached for it.

“Here, try this.” Dedue set the plate down and offered a tea spoon.

When Felix continued to stare at it, he explained further.

“He’s still too small to feed himself.”

“Right.”

Taking a spoonful of the orange mush he held it up to the baby’s face and watched as Sylvain leaned forward and latched onto the spoon. One of his small hands grabbed it away from Felix and he began sucking on it.

“I guess he likes it.” Dedue chuckled.

“Yeah.” He felt a small smirk on his own face. “Thanks. I… wouldn’t have been able to make that.”

“I made a large amount. It should last a couple days.”

Felix nodded.

“I’ll go tell His Highness that you two are fine then. He was concerned on how you were fairing.”

“You do that.”

Once they were alone again Felix fed him a few more bites, not understanding why he kept spitting half of it back out only to want it again once he cleaned it off his face.

“This is going to be a huge pain. It figures you would find new ways to torture me.”

Sylvain laughed sending a bunch mush spit onto Felix’s coat.

“This day keeps getting better and better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [@InsomniacTiger](https://twitter.com/InsomniacTiger)  
> Come say Hi over on Twitter! I post updates for my stories and art! :)


	3. "Feh-Lee"

If there was one thing that Felix knew about kids it was that their bedtime was significantly earlier than adults. When he was a kid, he remembered Glenn trying to wrestle him into bed while bragging that he got to stay up later because he was older. So, if that was the case then shouldn’t a baby’s bedtime be even sooner? Like right after dinner basically? But how to get him to sleep? And where to put him? He couldn’t very well just leave Sylvain in his own room… what if he fell off the bed in the middle of the night?

Maybe he could bring one of the cots in to his own room?

No. That still held the danger of the baby rolling off during the night.

So, the floor. He could put a bunch of blankets on the floor. The cats around the monastery loved when people left articles of clothes, or soft things on the ground. Sylvain was about the size of some of those cats right now.

Carrying him to his own room, Felix set him on his own bed while he grabbed the extra linens and some of his own shirts to make a spot on the floor near his own bed. When he finished it looked a bit like a bird’s nest. Or like a really crappy version of a dog bed that Dimitri’s parents used to have in their castle. Either way – it would work.

Turning around he went to grab the baby but found him already asleep snuggled against his pillow.

“No way. That’s my spot.” Felix glared hoping that Sylvain would wake.

No such luck. He was sound asleep, already drooling on his pillow.

“Well I’m not sleeping on the floor.” He said a little louder.

Still no reaction.

“Fine. Just for tonight then.”

Grabbing the linens off the floor he made a small barricade between the wall and the baby, just in case he got stuck in the crack in between. He was really small… and then another barricade between the two of them. Years of sleeping out in the fields as he searched for Dimitri and the Professor had trained him to be an especially light sleeper. If the brat woke up and tried to crawl off the bed or something he would wake up.

* * *

The sun rising through the window is always what woke him in the mornings. He took a minute to just rest before he got into the craziness of the day.

What was his agenda?

Training obviously.

Then there was a meeting with Byleth and the Boar later.

He had promised Annette that he would help her with cleaning… or was it cooking? They were both not great a cooking. That wasn’t it.

“Geh-nn.”

Opening his eyes he was met with bright honey colored ones. Right in his face.

Sylvain?

_Shit._

That’s right.

This was his new schedule.

Babysitting this moron.

Sylvain was sitting up on his chubby little legs and was patting Felix’s cheeks.

“Geh-nn.”

Sitting up he stared at the small creature sitting on the pile of sheets that clearly did nothing to deter him.

“You can talk?”

“Geeeh-nnn.” Sylvain giggled and then raised his hands toward him.

Felix glared. “What?”

“Geh-nn.”

Was this little shit saying Glenn? It sure sounded like it… Looking down Felix realized that during the night his hair had come undone. He hated to admit it, but he certainly did look a lot like his brother had when his hair was down.

“You… think I’m him?”

Sylvain laughed and clapped his hands before reaching for Felix again. “Geh-nn!”

“Its Felix.”

“Guh-”

He put a finger to the small lips to stop the words. “Fe-lix”

Sylvain frowned for a moment. “Guh?”

“No. Feee lix.”

“Feh.”

“Close enough.”

Scooping him up he realized that he would have to change him – again. Then they had to try the whole eating slop thing – again.

Babies are so repetitive.

* * *

The changing went better this time. Felix knew that the cloth wasn’t as secure as Dedue had done it, but it was staying. So, he was calling it good enough. When they made their way into the kitchen Annette was there singing about the food she was currently cooking.

“Felix!” She smiled when she saw him. “And you brought Sylvain!” She hurried over and started making cooing noises and tickling him. “It’s hard to believe this is our Sylvain… he’s so cute! And not obnoxious!”

Felix frowned. It’s true that Sylvain wasn’t always on everyone’s good list. But he always had everyone’s safety in mind.

What if they couldn’t change him back?

Not only were they losing an important general on the battlefield like Caspar had said the day before… but he would be losing someone very important to him. Again.

Sylvain was all he had left.

They would fix this.

With all the researching that Linhardt was always doing surely this wasn’t that difficult?

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Annette reached to pat his arm. “That was kind of an insensitive thing to say. But we will get him back.”

“I know.” He muttered.

“For now, we can just enjoy this little version!” She smiled back at the wiggly baby.

“If you think he’s so cute, you want to help me watch him?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Nope! I know you have a lot on your mind right now – so I’ll let it slide. But today I am on kitchen duty. Which you originally said you would help with. Don’t worry though! I already found someone else to help out!”

“Right. Sorry.”

“No problem! Now. I saw this bowl of mush sitting out and I think this is probably Sylvain’s, right?”

“Yeah. Dedue made it for him.”

“What a sweetheart. Can I help feed him?”

“I guess.”

They sat Sylvain on top of the counter and tried to spoon feed him like last night. But this time he seemed less interested in that and more interested in looking around the kitchen.

“Come on you brat. Just eat the damn carrots.” Felix growled.

Sylvain giggled and looked up at him. “Feh!”

“Aw that’s so cute! He’s trying to say your name!” Ashe came into the kitchen peering over Annette’s shoulder.

“It would be even more cute if he would eat his breakfast.” Annette sighed.

“You just have to make it more interesting.” Ashe took the spoon and got a small amount on it before he started making whooshing sounds. “Look Syl, it’s a wyvern! Open up for the wyvern!”

That got the baby’s attention and he giggled before opening his mouth and chomping on it once the spoon touched his lips.

“Oh, that’s cute!” Annette squealed. “How did you learn to do that?”

“My brother was a distracted eater. We always had to call in the wyverns.” Ashe grinned. “Oooh another one! Get the wyvern!” He made more whooshing noises.

This little game went on for several minutes and Felix stood back and watched them feed Sylvain. Eventually though he seemed to get full and was refusing any more ‘wyverns’.

“Feh!”

“You don’t want another bite?” Annette asked him still using the ‘baby voice’.

“Feh! Lee!”

“I think he’s actually saying something.” Ashe smirked. “Do you want Felix?”

“Feh! Lee!”

Felix sighed and went over to clean the excess mush off this face. “You damn brat.”

“Feh-lee!”

“I heard you the first time.” He lifted him up with one arm, not surprised now when he clung to the fur lining his coat.

“I’ll clean his mess.”

“No no! We got it!” Annette waved her hands at him.  
“Really.”

“Yes! Besides! His Highness was looking for you!” Ashe said gesturing towards the door, a rag already wiping at the counter.

Felix thanked them then headed out toward the counsel room. It was likely that Dimitri just wanted to see if Sylvain had changed back. He had hoped himself that maybe over night the spell would just wear off. Unfortunately, it seemed like they were going to be stuck with this baby a bit longer. As he looked down at the messy red hair and gold eyes that were focused on all the fur still, he thought, maybe it wasn’t the worse thing ever.

“Feh-lee!”

“Stop that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [@InsomniacTiger](https://twitter.com/InsomniacTiger)  
> Come say Hi over on Twitter! I post updates for my stories and art! :)


	4. Taking Care of Some Annoyances

Walking into the counsel room turned into something that was far more exhausting then Felix had been preparing himself for. The Boar was there, but instead of brooding over some maps like he had been, he was currently apologizing to some woman. When the door opened, she turned on her heels, hands on her hips.

She was young, probably pretty to some people. Honestly, she was likely their age, but the expression of someone who hadn’t seen battle made her seem years younger to him.

“Ah, Felix. Excellent. This young lady here is wondering if Sylvain is available.”

He managed to resist looking down at the bundle in his arms. On the way here he had wrapped the baby in his coat again which surprisingly caused Sylvain to fall right to sleep. Since he was actually being quiet _and_ still Felix didn’t want to risk waking him.  
“Why?” He glared at the woman.

“He _owes_ me.” She said, the self-deserving apparent in her tone.

“He owes you.” Felix raised an eyebrow.

He knew for a _fact_ that Sylvain had not spent any ‘nights out’ with women in the last couple years. So how could she possibly think that he owes her?

“Yes! I feel like I hardly need to explain myself.” She sniffed. “Everyone knows his reputation.”

“You come here, _knowing_ his reputation, and think he _owes_ you?” Felix growled.

The woman glared right back. “He does.”

There was a moment where he considered the different ways he could take this conversation. But then he smirked down at her.

“Does he owe you because he made another one of these?” He pulled the coat away from Sylvain’s face, revealing the fluff of red that could only belong to a Gautier.

Her face noticeably paled. “I-is that?”

“A baby? Yes. How stupid are you?”

She turned to look at Dimitri who was still hovering behind her, an odd expression on his face. There was a moment where both nobles could tell that she was hesitating. Debating whether it was worth keeping up her charade. “A-ah actually. He just didn’t pay his bar tab the other night.”

“Something as simple as that? I can cover that.” Dimitri quickly reassured her and called over a guard to help lead her out and handed her some coins to cover whatever Sylvain may or may not owe.

Once she was gone Dimitri was quick to turn back to Felix. “I cannot believe you just played that card.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like that’s where she wasn’t going to go with it anyway. And she was obviously just scamming in hopes for a bit of gold. Which you gave her.”

“Significantly less gold to cover a bar tab then for a baby.” He pointed out.

“You’re welcome. Now what did you want?”

“I had hoped that Sylvain would be back to normal by now…”

Felix just pointedly held the baby a bit higher.

“Yes. I see. I suppose Linhardt is working on a cure?”

“Of course.”

There was a moment where the King seemed to hesitate, clearly wanting to ask something but unsure how.

“Spit it out Boar.”

“Can I … see him?”

He pulled the coat back a bit further. Gold eyes were blinking up at him.

“You woke up and stayed quiet? A nice change.” He muttered poking at the chubby cheeks.

“Feh.”

Dimitri stepped closer and looked down at the tiny human his friend had become. “He’s… so small.”

“Obviously.”

“How has he been?”

“A pain in the ass, as always.”

“If you need any assistance just let me know.”

“I can handle this on my own. If your monstrous hands can break weapons so easily, just think what they would do with a child!”

Dimitri frowned, his one eye glancing to the side. “Of course. My apologies. He seems content, that is mostly what I was curious about.”

“Then we are done here.”

“One more thing Felix, I need your opinion on something.”

Sighing a little louder than necessary he turned to look at him again.

“Since Sylvain is… temporarily unavailable, and you are watching him… I was wondering who would recommend for the assignment that you two were going to leave for tomorrow.”

“What? I’m still going.”

“With Sylvain?”

“Not if he’s still like this, idiot.”

“Then who would be watching him?”

“I’ll ask Ashe.”

“He will be otherwise occupied as well.”

“If I may,” Dedue interrupted their growing argument. “I could watch him if needed.”

Felix stared at the tall man. He had of course been there the whole time, ever Dimitri’s shadow. It wasn’t too terribly long ago that he wouldn’t have even given the courtesy of a reply to the Boar’s watch dog. But – Dedue had been exceptionally helpful before and clearly knew what he was doing with brats like Sylvain had become.

“Thanks.” He muttered toward the Duscur man. “I leave in the morning, so I will hand him over then.”

“Whatever is easiest.”

“Why don’t you let Dedue take him tonight, Felix?” Dimitri suggested. “That way you can be sure to be well rested for - ”

“I said I’d hand him off in the morning!”

“Very well, now the other issue is who are you taking to back you up since your normal partner is out of commission?”

“No one. I’ll be fine. Plus, another person who isn’t used to the way I handle things will just slow me down.”

“Felix, I insist - ”

“See you in the morning.” He snapped leaving the room for real this time.

Standing outside the doors he wasn’t sure what he should do next though. He had been relieved from his normal duties to take care of the slobbering mess in his arms. What did one do with a baby when it wasn’t sleeping and eating?

Take him outside?

He looked down at Sylvain. The red headed monster was babbling some gibberish and yanking at one of the strands of Felix’s hair that had slipped out of place.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

“You sound like someone taking a dog out.” Ashe chuckled appearing from around the corner.

Felix shrugged hoping that his face didn’t look as red as it felt. “Well. Aren’t babies and dogs similar? You feed them, give them a place to sleep, and then let them outside for fresh air?”

For a moment Ashe stared at him wide eyed before laughing. “I guess! But babies are little more fragile than a dog.”

“I know that!”

“Can I go with you? I have some time to kill and I would love to relax by hanging out with a kid.”

“There is nothing relaxing about this.”

“Not all the time sure. But it can be. I’ll show you.”

The nimble archer swiftly gathered the small bundle from Felix’s arms and headed towards the rooms. “But first, Mercedes said she was working on a present for Sylvain. So, we should check it out.”

Considering Ashe wasn’t really giving him a choice Felix sighed and followed behind him toward the healer’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [@InsomniacTiger](https://twitter.com/InsomniacTiger)  
> Come say Hi over on Twitter! I post updates for my stories and art! :)

**Author's Note:**

> [@InsomniacTiger](https://twitter.com/InsomniacTiger)  
> Come say Hi over on Twitter! I post updates for my stories and art! :)


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